Preview: UFC 204 ‘Bisping vs. Henderson 2’

Bisping vs. Henderson

Michael
Bisping will try to avenge the most embarrassing defeat of his
career when he defends his
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight crown against
Dan
Henderson in the
UFC 204 main event on Saturday at Manchester Arena in
Manchester, England. Henderson executed a one-punch knockout on
Bisping at UFC 100 on July 11, 2009. It remains one of the
signature finishes in MMA history.

UFC Middleweight Championship

THE MATCHUP: Henderson and Bisping have been on
divergent paths since their historic first meeting at UFC 100.
Henderson went on to have some of the best performances of his
career after losing his Strikeforce
debut to Jake Shields,
but his famous durability began to wane after the banning of
testosterone replacement therapy in MMA; and the speed and
scrambling ability followed suit. Since the start of 2013,
Henderson has won just three of nine fights, and every one of the
victories came against a similarly declining opponent. Even so, his
power remains terrifyingly apparent, as all three of those wins
have come via knockout. So, too, was the win over Bisping seven
years ago.

Bisping, on the other hand, has made a number of improvements since
UFC 100. He has lost five times but only to some of the best
fighters in the division -- physical powerhouses like Luke
Rockhold, Tim Kennedy,
Chael
Sonnen and Vitor
Belfort. The Sonnen fight was much disputed and Belfort, like
“Hendo” himself at the start of 2013, was clearly enjoying the
benefits of TRT. Bisping has won more than he has lost, too,
finding victory in 12 of 17 fights since UFC 100. Most of the wins
were not particularly noteworthy, but Bisping’s latest run is
undeniably the best of his career. He bested Anderson
Silva in a tough, back-and-forth fight which saw “The Spider”
hit the deck two times. Three months later, Bisping avenged his
loss to Rockhold, knocking out the middleweight champion in the
first round despite taking the fight on just two weeks’ notice.

It was no dumb luck that saw “The Count” put together his current
streak. Jason Parillo has been a fixture in Bisping’s corner since
his fight with Brian Stann
in 2012, and while Bisping has suffered three losses in that time,
he has also made marked improvements in all areas of his striking
technique. The Bisping who fought Henderson was flighty and
fidgety, uncomfortably high on his toes and accidentally pulling
his punches for fear of the counter. The Bisping who won the title
and beat Silva was settled down, balanced between both feet and
capable of evading and countering at just about any time. Power
came with those improvements, and that is how Bisping turned into,
in his own words, “Left Hook Larry.”

Nowadays, Henderson tends to fight with a patient, stalking
approach. He throws short, chopping kicks, often using these to
destabilize his opponent and unleash his famously powerful right
hand. Henderson is an imposing presence in spite of his years. He
stalks forward in a sort of semi-crouch, keeping his right hand
cocked and loaded beside his jaw. The posture is reminiscent of a
man carrying a bazooka on his shoulder, ready to fire. Two of
Henderson’s most recent wins have come as the result of his long
experience. Both Hector
Lombard and Mauricio Rua
were felled in the midst of wild clinch exchanges.

Bisping’s style has not changed, but it has grown more flexible
with technical improvements. Bisping is more comfortable setting
his feet and letting his hands go, which, perhaps
counterintuitively, should help him avoid Henderson’s power and
find his chin. Neither man is particularly durable, but Bisping
still recuperates well, while Henderson has been easier and easier
to shake with each passing year.

THE ODDS: Bisping (-225), Henderson (+190)

THE PICK: I love this fight. So, sue me. Henderson
is a legend of MMA, and he deserves this one last chance to win the
UFC title, having already won belts in
Pride Fighting Championships and Strikeforce. Bisping is a
legend in his own right and deserves this chance to avenge the most
spectacular and, to hear him tell it, humiliating defeat of his
career. Henderson has proven time and again that, no matter how
much he has faded, he is still extremely dangerous. He cannot,
however, match Bisping’s pace, nor can he effectively avoid the
fists and feet of the man who has notched more significant strikes
than any other in UFC history -- 1,414 of them, in case you were
curious. If Henderson wins, it will be a swift counter in the midst
of a loose exchange. Against a fighter of Bisping’s class, the
chances are slim. Bisping by second-round TKO is the pick.